Chapter 226
Chapter: 226
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 226
>Chapter Title: Air Raid (3)
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>Boom—
With a single punch from the ice monster, a massive crater formed at the entrance to the ice wall. The entire fortress shook from the impact.
“W-What in the world are you doing?!”
Sir Hans, horrified, stuck his head out beyond the ice wall and bellowed.
“Your Highness!”
Orden, pale-faced, belatedly tried to stop Seongjin.
Whoosh—
But Frost No. 3 moved without hesitation. Its raised fist came crashing down, striking the ice wall once more.
KABOOM!
“……!”
Crack.
This time, cracks spiderwebbed across part of the ice wall, and the area near the entrance collapsed dramatically. When Frost No. 3 pulled its arm free from where it was embedded deep in the ice, a tunnel wide and deep enough to fit a wagon stood revealed.
Drip, drip. Shards of shattered ice fell to the ground.
“…Is that the power of a glacier troll?”
The two punches from the ice monster were enough to stun everyone present.
These creatures sometimes wandered down near the perimeter in winter, but they had never seriously damaged the ice wall.
‘If they all swarmed at once and kept pounding the ice wall with that kind of force…….’
Wouldn’t it just be a matter of time before the fortress fell?
Orden forgot all about restraining the prince as he stared blankly, lost in grim imaginings.
In truth, this was the result of a proper punch from someone who had fought bare-fisted his entire life, but Orden had no way of knowing that.
“Looks like it’s impossible to punch straight through the passage after all. The lower wall is too thick.”
The culprit behind this terrifying display of destruction seemed dissatisfied, however.
“And what’s with that dumb look on your face, Young Duke? You need to move now!”
“…Pardon?”
“Take the men and hide inside there for the time being. The tunnel entrance got a bit smashed up, but you should be able to clear the blockage easily enough.”
The approaching glacier trolls were already dangerously close. There was no time.
Yet the number of rescued soldiers was considerable, and after the grueling forced march, few could even stand properly.
It would be impossible for everyone to make it into the fortress through the entrance tunnel in time.
Seongjin had thus improvised a shelter for them. They needed a place to hide from the enemy, even briefly, while they recovered and moved one by one through the tunnel.
“…It’s wide open to the outside anyway. What good is hiding there?”
“Leave that to me. Don’t worry about it.”
“……”
He couldn’t even guess what the prince planned to do. But after glancing at the prince’s eyes, brimming with conviction, Orden felt an odd certainty that it just might work.
“Hurry up!”
Rumble.
The ice beasts carrying the people crouched low at the entrance. Dozens of soldiers clinging to them began sliding down their arms.
Most staggered but could walk, though plenty couldn’t move at all.
Surprisingly, Frost No. 2 carefully maneuvered its arm to shake them gently toward the crater. It was a remarkably delicate motion.
Lady Maria and even Sir Valerie, who was relatively unharmed, leaped down at once and began helping the others.
“Is Your Highness not coming?”
Orden, carrying two soldiers who had passed out from concussions, turned to ask Seongjin.
“I have to control the ice beasts. And Sir Masain……”
He looked at him hopefully, wishing he would help, but Masain’s face was rigidly set as he refused outright.
“I must remain at Your Highness’s side.”
Yeah, figured as much.
As Seongjin scratched his cheek awkwardly,
Rumble.
The enemy glacier troll that had collapsed suddenly twitched and tried to rise.
“…Damn!”
Seongjin had fully released control of the group to focus on the delicate task of moving people. In his haste, he tried to move Frost No. 3 again.
Fortunately, his will reached Frost No. 3 perfectly.
Boom!
The ice monster, which had nearly leaped up to charge, was swiftly pinned by Frost No. 3 and rolled across the ground. It thrashed wildly, but Frost No. 3 bound its limbs tight, like a wrestler pinning an opponent.
Orden, tense for a moment, sighed in relief and said to Seongjin,
“Then Your Highness should take cover without delay as well.”
But there was no reply.
Of course not. Seongjin was already preoccupied controlling the three ice beasts separately.
While Frost No. 1 crouched low in support, Frost No. 2 carefully ferried people into the crater. And Frost No. 3 was busy suppressing the enemy glacier troll nearby.
He had no spare attention for his own body.
“Hurry, Young Duke. His Highness won’t move until everyone is evacuated.”
Nodding at Sir Masain’s urging, Orden suddenly felt a chill and looked back at the prince’s face.
“…Your Highness?”
What was that? For a split second, the prince’s eyes seemed to flash strangely.
But there was no time to dawdle. At Masain’s prompting, Orden leaped into the ice cave, soldiers in tow.
‘Something’s off…….’
Meanwhile, Seongjin clutched the ice heart, lost in a daze.
He had been busily controlling the ice beasts the same way as always. Yet at some point, his consciousness floated free, his mind growing hazy—and suddenly, alternating control between them felt effortless.
‘No, it’s different.’
He wasn’t ‘controlling’ them to move anymore.
It felt as if he had become the ice beasts themselves. His body and mind split into three, his vision expanding in all directions—an alien sensation.
—Evacuation complete, Your Highness. You must move now.
Masain’s voice in his ear felt distant, muffled as if by a veil.
Yet Seongjin fully grasped the meaning of his words and the situation around him.
And what he needed to do next.
‘Now seal the ice wall, Frost No. 2.’
At the thought, the nearest ice beast at the entrance stirred.
Rumble.
The massive hole in the ice wall was perfectly sealed by Frost No. 2’s body. Without specific instructions on how, it assumed the ideal form in Seongjin’s mind.
And before his eyes appeared a status window from the system, clearer than ever before.
〚Entity 2〛
>〚Temperature Scroll: Activity (Ice Separation) -/----- Dormancy (Ice Fusion)〛
As Seongjin mentally dragged the scroll, the ice beast plastered against the wall plummeted in temperature, freezing solidly to the ice wall.
Crack.
Tiny ice crystals sprouted here and there, filling every gap—not just between the glacier troll and the wall, but even the cracks.
“…What in the…….”
Everyone in the fortress held their breath at the unbelievable sight, plain as day.
Sir Hans, who had been ranting that the prince had lost his mind, was now so shocked his eyes nearly bulged out.
“Your Highness!”
Then Sir Masain called urgently to Seongjin again.
With the ice wall sealing before they could evacuate, they now had no choice but to climb the ropes.
Yet even with enemies breathing down their necks, the prince clutching the ice heart gave no response.
Shaking Seongjin in dismay, Masain suddenly noticed something on his face and gasped.
“……!”
The prince’s eyes gleamed with an eerie light.
An inorganic sheen, as if reflecting the entire world. Not entirely unfamiliar to Masain.
Someone he knew well had often looked the same.
“…Pardon the intrusion, Your Highness!”
Instinctively grasping Seongjin’s state, Masain hoisted him onto his shoulder and scanned the surroundings.
The entrance was now completely blocked by the frozen Frost No. 2. Gauging the wall’s height, Masain steeled himself and leaped.
Thwack!
Jumping well above Frost No. 1’s head, Masain grabbed a rope dangling from the wall and planted his feet firmly on the ice.
“P-Pull! Haul the rope!”
Sir Oscar, watching anxiously from atop the fortress, urged the soldiers on.
Soon, the rope bearing Masain and Seongjin was pulled swiftly upward.
“Your Highness! Your Highness, what’s wrong?!”
He had to wake him.
So thinking, Masain gripped the rope with one hand and called repeatedly.
But the prince showed no reaction whatsoever, eyes wide open though they were.
—Are you all right? Your Highness! Pull yourself together!
Seongjin, too, was keenly aware his state was abnormal. He heard every word from Masain without missing a beat.
It simply sounded as if coming from very far away.
His limp limbs flopped uncomfortably with Masain’s movements, but Seongjin couldn’t even think to support himself.
Instead, what stirred in response to his will was Frost No. 1.
Rumble.
Turning its back to the fortress, Frost No. 1 slowly rose and faced the horde of glacier trolls closing in.
Twenty-four glacier trolls.
Including the fallen one before the fortress, likely the maximum number the ‘ice heart’ could register.
‘…Ah, yes.’
Seongjin realized.
Those are my enemies. But Sir Masain won’t let me fight them anyway.
Then why not have this willing substitute battle in his place?
‘I already know that full well. So why bother returning to this body now?’
The ice beasts’ bodies were huge, strong, and reusable anytime. He could rampage freely!
Crunch.
At Seongjin’s will, Frost No. 1 clenched its fist powerfully.
A grip that could crush most creatures in an instant. A sense of exhilarating release brought a grin to his face.
‘Haha!’
Frost No. 1 bellowed in response.
ROOOAR—
And then.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The ice beast charged forward with wide strides, swinging its fist at the first enemy it met. Their utter failure to respond to the sudden preemptive strike was only natural.
CRASH!
With a deafening impact, the lead glacier troll’s head exploded in an instant.
* * *
“Sir Masain!”
“Your Highness!”
Masain, with the prince slung over his shoulder, crested the ice wall with the group’s help.
Woof! Woof!
The wolf-dog sent ahead to the fortress earlier—who knew when it had slipped its leash—rushed toward them, tail wagging furiously. Lady Claudia, who had been straining on the pulley nearly to tears, tossed it aside and hurried over.
Seeing the prince slumped lifelessly on Masain’s shoulder, she asked worriedly,
“Sir Masain. Why is His Highness suddenly like this? Did he get hurt somewhere……?”
“No, it’s probably nothing serious. He’ll be fine, Lady Claudia.”
Masain shed his cold-weather gear, spread it on the icy floor, and gently laid Prince Mores upon it.
Slurp, slurp.
The dog nosed up and licked his cheek repeatedly, but the prince remained utterly still. Without close inspection, one might doubt he was even breathing.
Only the occasional flicker of silver light in his half-open eyes signaled he lived.
“…Shouldn’t we fetch a physician right away?”
Sir Hans asked cautiously. Everyone could see it wasn’t normal—and he hoped it might gloss over his earlier impudent outburst.
But Masain shook his head.
“He’s fine. More importantly, help get the people trapped at the entrance inside the fortress. The Young Duke, Lady Maria, and Inquisitor Valerie are still stuck there.”
He rose and gazed at the magical beasts filling the canyon.
Dozens of glacier trolls nearly upon them, followed at a distance by hundreds of lycanslopes.
“We need a way to deal with those beasts immediately too. You saw it, didn’t you? If those glacier trolls really dig in and pound away, this fortress’s ice wall won’t hold long.”
“Gasp!”
“We’ll head out first. How many combat-ready aura users are left in the fortress besides us?”
Sir Hans hemmed and hawed uncomfortably.
“The skilled ones were all drafted to the ice wall outpost. What remains here are just the bare-minimum sentries. We’ve requested reinforcements from the territory, but right now it’s just four Wolf Knights including Deputy Captain Oscar.”
They had trusted solely in the ice wall.
At that answer, Masain hesitated briefly.
Wasn’t that a hopelessly inadequate force, not even worth calling troops? Couldn’t they just evacuate to the capital with the prince on their backs?
At that moment.
Shing.
The sound of a sword being drawn rang out.
“But Sir Masain. His Highness would want to fight as long as it’s possible.”
As if reading his turmoil, Lady Claudia spoke with resolute determination. Captain Bruno and Sir Carmen gripped their swords behind her, staring steadily at Masain.
Eyes firm, showing not a shred of doubt or thought of retreat.
Masain felt a wry amusement and glanced at the quietly lying prince with a chuckle.
‘Your Highness. Since when did your retinue turn into such hopeless charge-first-think-later lunatics? Isn’t this all your fault?’
But maybe I’m no different. Turning into the same irredeemable sort.
Unsure if the quiet heat in his chest was pride or self-loathing, Masain slowly drew Mistral from his belt.
As if refusing to be outdone, the Wolf Knights drew their swords boldly one by one.
“Canyon Fortress is the north’s final bastion defending Sigismund Territory! Wolf Knights, draw your swords!”
Sir Oscar bellowed with fierce resolve.
“Archers, nock your bows! Infuse them with aura and aim for their hearts!”
As they steeled themselves to descend the ice wall,
Peering down while gripping the ropes, they witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
An ice beast suddenly charged forward powerfully, smashing the lead enemy’s head in one blow!
CRASH!
With a shockwave shaking the canyon, the glacier troll’s head shattered to pieces.
“……!”
Before they could even take in the flying ice shards, the ice beast wheeled around and drove its elbow blade into the heart of another nearby foe.
BOOM!
Crack!
The stunned monster’s heart exploded from its chest, and the massive glacier troll body crumpled limply to the ground.
Crash!
The vibration rocked the fortress.
Of course, the ice beast had already turned away, swiftly seeking its next target.
“…What is that?”
“Vince… That’s Vince, right?”
A glacier troll’s spectacular one-man rampage.
Forgetting all earlier peril, everyone in the fortress gaped downward.
“Hey! That……!”
Sir Carmen, mouth agape like a fool, suddenly clapped his hands as realization dawned.
Right! That movement resembled someone he knew, didn’t it?
The boy who had once taken down seven capital guards single-handedly.
“…No way?”
Captain Bruno, quietly observing the glacier trolls’ battle, nodded.
“It certainly resembles that gentleman’s style. Clearly, Vince is still under His Highness’s control.”
Before his words finished, four lead glacier trolls were incapacitated in seconds.
As the flustered enemies milled about confused, Vince shot forward like an arrow, plunging into the heart of their formation.
“A glacier troll… could move like that?”
Even Sir Oscar, veteran of decades in the demon lands, had never seen such prowess.
Amid the fortress’s collective shock, only Sir Sharon gazed leisurely at the sky, muttering to himself.
“Heh heh heh. What’s this, Mores? If Holy Father saw, he’d give you an earful. Yeah. Heh heh heh. No, Mores, aren’t you getting too lax without His Imperial Majesty? Of course. Yes. Hee hee.”